Mugabe wise to refuse hero funeral

Former President of Zimbabwe, Robert Gabriel Mugabe was recently reported to have told his family that he did not want to be buried at the national heroes shrine but instead wanted to be buried next to his mother's grave. He was reported to be against current President Emerson Mnangagwa presiding over his funeral and pontificating about his heroism  when he tormented him and humiliated him when he was forced out of power in the November 2017 "coup not a coup" operation.

I believe that this is a perfect excuse and dignified reason to save the nation from further being divided over his appropriate status and place for his final rest place. I believe that not everyone agrees that Robert Gabriel Mugabe has earned a hero's status.

In truth, Robert Mugabe has done more harm for Zimbabwe than good.  Mugabe took over a United Zimbabwe nation at Independence. Having taken an oath to defend and protect every Zimbabwean, he soon after that 0ath went for mass slaughter of citizens in Matebeleland and the Midlands.  Mugabe sowed tribal divisions as his Gukurahundi "fifth brigade" targeted Ndebele speaking people for mass murder. It will be difficult to come up with the exact numbers  of people killed as even the killers could not keep up with the count. The actual number could run close to a hundred thousand (100 000) possibly more. Mugabe had the opportunity to build a United nation but wasted that opportunity. Thus, on the political front, Mugabe was a disaster as he created hatred among Zimbabweans. Today the hatred between Shona speaking and Ndebele speaking Zimbabweans remains one of the biggest issues of the nation to resolve. Zimbabweans would ask what hero divides the nation in the manner Mugabe has done.

On the economic front, Mugabe inherited a very strong economy that was the envy of the whole of Africa and beyond. The Zimbabwe  dollar was stronger than the United States Dollar.  Mugabe presided over economic policies (or the lack of them) that introduced massive corruption where government officials competed on looting the country dry. Government services were all functioning education, health  and social care, you name it, it was there. The cities and towns were competing on cleanliness yet young people today cannot imagine what a clean city would look like. Corruption has become the normal way of life . The whole nation realised that Mugabe was the reason for the suffering and all the ills the country was going through and that he had to be removed as leader. Having been removed from the Presidency, Mugabe has become so bitter that he has and continues to make sure that those that took power from him are not seen as better than him. It was a political shock when suddenly after removal from president, he saw the angel in the opposition that he had until then been vilifying, torturing and killing.

Who then can see a hero in someone who has been responsible for the suffering the citizens are going through right now that has driven millions out of the country to live as slaves and squatters in those countries? A hero  is someone who is a good example to fellow citizens in the present and future. A hero is someone the young should be encouraged to emulate. I don't think that there are many in Zimbabwe today  who would want to see another Mugabe -like as President again.  So what kind of a hero would/will Mugabe be that no one would want to emulate?

If, as has been reported, Mugabe has decided to save the nation from the embarrassment of making him a hero that is not a hero, then he should be regarded as a wise man indeed.  I hope he will find a good  eternal rest place with his mother in Zvimba.

I thank Mugabe for opening his status for hero for public debate.

Nicholas Mlamuli Ndebele (44-7747308160)